One of the things that I really enjoy is learning from big brands such as Apple, their story is fantastic and by now we all know that Steve Jobs was a visionary genius that transformed the world. There are a lot of good things to say about Apple, they have premium products, the brand is fantastic and iconic, and the most important thing is that people recognizes all of the value they provide and the company is not just stable but growing. This is where it gets tricky for me, because it's hard to imagine a tougher scenario, they have practically every single computer manufacturer competing with them, the operative system used by Apple's products is exclusive, and as if this were not enough, they even have the pricier products in every niche; so the question for me is: How do they do it? How is that they can not only survive but grow? Why is that I keep hearing comments from people saying that they will never go back to Windows or Android after trying iOS?
A few days ago I was in a meeting with one of my mentors and he played a video where I found a crucial part of the answer, so keep reading as this could serve you to grow your business using the same strategy that Apple uses.
What makes Apple's products so special?
It is not hard to notice that Apple's products have a great look and a beautiful design, they stand out easily among all the other manufacturers because their style and functionality. A critical characteristic about these products is the fact that they are top quality gadgets and if for some reason something is not right with your machine the attention that you receive is that of the VIP. It is not a secret that Apple's products are expensive, and even this does not discourage people from trying the company's goods. Even when all of this is true it does not explain completely the fact that today Apple is more than a company who manufactures great computers; it does not explain why Apple is in fact an Icon.
As I told you earlier I had the privilege of watching a video where Simon Sinek explains his concept of The Golden Circle, in this video he uses Apple as an example to show why some companies are more successful than others, and he highlights the importance of both having and communicating a reason first for doing something. Simon believes that it is by inspiring others that success is achieved, the trick is to inspire people to purchase a product, and that is achieved communicating first a reason and then how and what the product is about.
Just take a look at Apple's commercials and you'll find a lot of inspiring messages, they barely touch what the product is about and instead they focus their attention in showing us the reasons to buy their computer.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9z3RWmZEjs?rel=0]
On the other hand here is another commercial from Samsung, who is a competitor of Apple, and see how they advertise their product; the whole commercial is about what the product is about, not about why we should get it.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkhP7KFQXrM&version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0]
On the first video Apple simply presents the product and the images speak for themselves telling what the product is about and why we should buy it, whereas in the Samsung video they say that their computer has the latest Intel processor and that it is the fastest of all, the fact is that this is the least that I expect as a customer, the best, latest, and fastest technology of all.
What is the importance of starting with a reason?
Apple understands their own motives to exist and develop products and thus they can connect with people who as well understand their reasons for having the best, latest, and fastest technology. These people are willing to pay good money for a product that comprehends the necessities of a professional computer user. This also explains why Apple is an icon; this company has driven their business in order to create loyal customers; those customers are influencing others to believe in Apple and thus increase their audience.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFEarBzelBs&version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0]
The one thing that makes Apple successful over all the computer companies is the fact that whereas all the others explain what they have, Apple focuses on inspiring people to think differently.
Did you find useful this article? What can you change in your business now that you know this? Are you ready to inspire people instead of just telling them what you sell? Let us know your thoughts and leave a comment.
To your Success!
This article was written by Jose Lozano, an enthusiast blogger and passionate learner who is always looking for ways to improve the way he does things. One of his hobbies is to play with RC flying toys and do RC aerial photography, currently he is learning to edit these images on his computer, but after writing this article he thinks that an Apple computer would be the best fit to create amazing pictures and even videos.
